Shinigami in a Strange Land
by gmgurp666
Summary: Harry Kyoraku is the youngest member of a noble family, a promising Shinigami, and a loyal friend. He has no recollection of his time among the living, but now his life is starting to catch up with him. Rated M for some later violent content.
1. Chapter 1

Shinigami in a Strange Land Chapter 1

Harry Kyoraku was experiencing something that was rare, even in the Soul Society. He had been summoned to the Captain General's Office.

While this may not have been odd for a Captain or even a Lieutenant, for an unseated officer of the Fourth Division, only six months out of the Academy, to have the Lieutenant of the First Division come to get him for a personal audience with the greatest Shinigami of all time, it was somewhat unnerving.

Harry was quite sure that he had done nothing wrong, at least not as far as he could tell. This could have something to do with the all too frequent Shunpo accident that involved Lieutenant Matsumoto. Finding himself in that particular position every time he had ever managed to achieve a long distance Flash Step was not only embarrassing, but was probably against at least three regulations. He just couldn't figure out what kept going wrong and had decided to ere on the side of caution, avoiding using the technique for the time being.

Arriving at the imposing doors of the office made Harry gulp, though he steeled himself for what was most likely going to be a thorough grilling about the dangers of using a technique that he had apparently not mastered yet.

His escort announced him and the doors parted to reveal not only the Captain General, Genryusai Shigekuni Yamamoto, but also his own Captain, Retsu Unohana, and the head of his family, Captain Shunsui Kyoraku.

Stepping over the threshold, and not having trouble breathing from being so close to this many powerful individuals, Harry made his way forward and bowed before his superiors.

"Fourth Division, Unseated Officer, Harry Kyoraku, reporting as ordered, sir." Harry's voice was a little strained, but he held his ground, refusing to let his nervousness show in any other way.

He didn't even look up until he heard the leader of the Shinigami address him directly, "You may stand easy, Kyoraku. You have been called here to discuss your assignment."

The youngest member of the Kyoraku Clan found himself more than a little surprised. The Captain General would normally just pass such things down the ranks to the Captains and let them deliver the news to their subordinates. For him to call for an Unseated Officer just to hand out an assignment was unheard of.

"I see that you realize the seriousness of the situation, Mr. Kyoraku, but you may not be quite so surprised when you learn all the details." The Captain General responded to the look on Harry's face.

"You see Harry," The head of the Kyoraku clan addressed his youngest sibling with a bit of a smirk on his face, "When we adopted you, thirty-seven years ago, we performed a ritual that would tell us your name. This was necessary, as you were a child of barely more than a year old at the time. We registered that name with the proper offices and also registered the change of name that came with the adoption."

"Your name at the time of your death was Harry Potter." The Captain of Harry's Division broke into the conversation, almost as if on cue. "A few days ago, a letter arrived from the world of the living, via an agent that we have there, addressed to you, under your birth name."

"Um, sir, I'm not sure how this happened, but I promise I didn't have anything to do with this." Harry blurted out, nervous that he would be blamed for revealing the existence of the afterlife to those of the living world.

"You need not be afraid, Mr. Kyoraku. We know from this letter," The Captain General waved a sheaf of heavy parchment, "that they do not know anything sensitive. It appears that they wish for you to attend a magic school."

"Uh, sir, I'm not sure I understand what you want me to do."

"You will be attending this school, as even our understanding of this place is, at best, limited. You will go to the Urahara Shoten, in Karakura Town, to meet with the proprietor and receive the things you will require for school." The Captain General stated.

Captain Unohana then continued the briefing, "You will be expected to carry out the regular duties of a Shinigami assigned to living world, as well as doing your best in the classes."

"And you will be expected to stay out of trouble while you are at it." Captain Kyoraku said.

This last statement surprised Harry a little, mainly because of the source. It was no secret that the head of the Kyoraku Clan was infamous for his all night binges and women chasing. For him to be warning Harry to stay out of trouble was kind of ironic. It took all of Harry's discipline to keep from snorting, though a smile crept over his features, as he bowed to the three elder Shinigami, "I will depart at once for the world of the living and make contact with Mr. Urahara."

"Very well." The Captain General said, "You are dismissed."

Harry turned and walked from the office with a bit of a spring in his step. This assignment was unique, and he was uniquely qualified to carry it out. This could help him to get a seated position, something he had wanted since he first saw one of the seated officers during his training.

It wasn't long before he noticed that he was not alone, even though the company had made no noise on their approach. Turning his head, he quickly stopped and bowed, "I'm sorry, Captain Unohana, I didn't notice you there. Is there something more ma'am?"

Retsu Unohana was Captain of the Fourth Division of the Thirteen Court Guard Squads. She was the embodiment of elegance, grace, and composure. As Harry rose from his bow he took a moment to appreciate the warm smile that graced her features. Shortly after he had joined Fourth Division she had taken notice of his skills and had apparently decided to take him under her wing and teach Harry the finer points of using Kido for healing. She was the closest thing to a mother he had known since he had come to the Soul Society.

His clan was not cruel by any measure, but the head was an atypical example of the family. They were loving, but only to a certain extent, even with each other. Harry had come to accept that this detachment was the norm among the noble houses, and that it was a defense mechanism against the inevitable loss of a family member when their time came.

But the smile that Harry now faced was warm and infectious, penetrating into his core and causing his insides to melt. "Harry, I know that you will be returning to the country where you were born, lived your short life, and died, but I think you should refrain from trying to find any information about those events."

Harry bowed his head, "Captain, I understand your concerns about my intentions, but I honestly wasn't planning to go digging into things when I would have no idea where to begin. I don't remember anything about my parents, so that path is blocked, at least for now. Aside from that, I was too young to have any friends I can remember, so I wouldn't be able to run with anything there."

Harry sighed, gathering his thoughts before continuing, "To top it all off, I've been in the Soul Society for almost four decades. There's a good chance that most of the people that knew my parents are dead."

Retsu reached out and took the trembling young man into a hug, wishing that she could alleviate this pain as easily as she did all those of the body. Harry just laid his head against her body and took several long, calming breaths.

After a few moments spent like this he gently extricated himself and hung his head. "I'm sorry for my behavior Captain."

"Harry," Captain Unohana interrupted him, "You are a passionate young man, and will make a strong Shinigami in time, but you must also realize that many of us wonder about our origins, before we came to live in the Soul Society. I wanted you to refrain from any active searches for just this reason. Once you start something, I have no doubt that you will see it through."

"I have another reason for not wanting to go looking for any information. What kind of parents could let their own child die? I've looked for them, but there are no records of a couple coming over around the same time I did. Would I have liked them, or were they monsters?" Harry said as he got his emotions back in check.

A sad smile formed on Retsu's face and Harry was about to kick himself for making his Captain frown, as members of the Fourth had been dealt with harshly for lesser offenses. Such punishments were an in house affair that never reached the attention of the other squads.

Just as the young man was about to apologize for his transgression, Captain Unohana spoke up, "I may not be able to answer all of your questions Harry, but I can guess that you would have liked your parents."

She held up her hand to forestall and interruption, causing Kyoraku's mouth to snap closed with a click. Then Unohana continued, "When the Captain General first told me about this assignment, I took the liberty to ask Urahara to look into your death. It appears that you were killed in an explosion that leveled the small house you lived in, along with your parents. He told me that there were several anomalies in the report that lead him to believe that there was both foul play and a cover-up involved. One thing he was quiet sure of, and I agree with him, is that your parents died protecting you, almost ten years ago."

Harry blinked at the information he had been handed, "Ten years? How could that be?" His voice was little more than a whisper as he spoke.

"It does not happen often these days, but there have occasionally been those that arrived significantly out of sync with the time of their death. It can only happen to those that cross over naturally, without the help of a Shinigami preforming Konso on them." She explained. "What is important is that they did love you Harry, you may be sure of that."

The young Shinigami set his jaw and nodded resolutely, "Thank you, Captain. That does help a great deal, and I hope that I might one day meet them again, now that I know the truth."

"I hope you do as well. But for now," She waved him off, "You have a mission to perform. Off you go."

Harry bowed to his Captain and moved away, down the hallway toward the exit. Retsu Unohana knew that Harry would do whatever it took to accomplish his assigned task, she was just happy that it wasn't anything too dangerous.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Harry began running a short distance from the headquarters building of First Division. He was eager to get to his assignment, especially with the confidence that Captain Unohana had expressed in his abilities.

While he was running, it came to mind that it was still quite some distance to his own barracks, what with the size of the Seireitei. That was when he decided to use his Flash Step. Harry knew that the technique was quite difficult, usually requiring a great many years to master, but something about it had just felt natural to him, even the first time when he managed to go only a few meters. That was, up until a certain day a couple of months ago, when the repeating accident had occurred.

This time, he did everything he could think of to avoid another mishap, and then focused on using the technique.

Once again he found himself rotating his head to look up into the eyes of one Rangiku Matsumoto, the lieutenant of the Tenth Division. The embarrassing part, which was now causing his cheeks to color and heat up, was the angle at which he was looking into those humor filled eyes. Once again, he found his face firmly planted into the ample exposed cleavage of one of the most buxom women in the Soul Society.

"Morning Lieutenant Matsumoto." Harry quickly said as he pulled himself free.

"Tried Shunpo again Harry?" The superior officer asked with a friendly smile gracing her face.

"Yeah." Harry answered as nonchalantly as he could manage, especially with the hilt of one of the most feared Zanpakuto not that far away. "I could have sworn that I figured out what was wrong this time, Lieutenant."

"Harry, you do realize that you can call me Rangiku when we're away from official business." She said with a playful lilt in her voice. "After all the times we've met like this, I feel we know each other well enough."

"I'm really sorry about this, Lieu... Rangiku. I still can't find the problem in my technique. Do you think it could be some form of external influence that's causing it?"

Matsumoto smiled all the same, but inside alarm bells were ringing. "I don't know of anything that could cause this kind of mishap, though I'm no expert on all the secrets of Shunpo. Maybe you should go talk to Captain Kurotsuchi and let him run an analysis."

Harry shuddered at the thought of going anywhere near the territory of Twelfth Division, and especially their psychotic captain. He would never disparage a superior officer, but his thoughts on the subject were absolute. "You're probably right, Rangiku, I just need to get some more practice."

She was happy that her redirect had worked so seamlessly. "So, what brings you to the Tenth Division barracks today?"

"I was on my way to my own barracks to gather my things for an assignment I just received. Unfortunately, now I'm even farther away than I was." He rubbed the back of his head as he explained.

"Tell you what, I'll take you to your barracks, so that you won't be late to start your mission."

"I'd really appreciate that, Rangiku. And I'm sorry for ending up like this again." Harry repeated the apology for what felt like the millionth time.

"Don't worry about it. At least you found a soft landing place, unlike all the walls you could have ended up with."

They both laughed briefly, though the young man's blush seemed to darken a bit more.

Holding out her hand, Rangiku waited for Harry to take it and then took several steps to bring them to the entrance of the Fourth Division Barracks. Once there she leaned over and placed a soft kiss on Harry's cheek, "You be careful out there, okay."

"I will, and thanks."

ooo000OOO000ooo

An hour later, Harry was led by a Hell Butterfly into the Senkaimon, on his way to the world of the living and his first mission. He had his Zanpakuto strapped at his side, the green looking material of the hilt shining in the light. His official orders, delivered to him at the barracks, were tucked into his robes.

ooo000OOO000ooo


	2. Chapter 2

Shinigami in a Strange Land Chapter 2

Harry arrived at the front of the little candy store, Urahara Shoten, just as the sun was reaching its zenith. The heat of the day would have been uncomfortable for any living thing, but that was a concern of the living.

What was vexing Harry was the fact that the shop looked closed. There was a heavy metal door covering the front of the little store, which was situated in an otherwise empty lot.

He checked the slip of paper that had the address written on it against the plaque that declared this to be the correct place. Satisfied that he was where he was supposed to be, Harry walked toward the front of the shop with the intention of phasing right through the solid matter. This would have been the standard way of getting into any area that was mission critical while being in any way blocked. When his hand failed to be able to make the transition, the situation became more worrisome.

He had heard Rangiku complain about the many shortcomings of Soul Society intelligence, especially when it came to important details. This seemed to be one of those times.

Feeling that there was nothing to lose, the young Shinigami rapped his knuckles on the metal surface, causing several loud reports to echo around the vacant lot.

He waited several moments, hearing not so much as a sound of scuffling feet from the other side of the metal partition. Then he felt it. A presence was moving toward him, coming up from behind. An immense presence, if his senses were to be trusted.

Turning, Harry found himself standing ten feet away from a massive man that appeared to be wearing a leather work apron, similar to those that might be found among blacksmiths. He was carrying a huge package on his shoulder, though the weight didn't seem to bother him, just as the heat also seemed not to faze him. But it was the amount of spiritual energy this man was exuding that made Harry tense.

He had felt such things before, usually when he was in the presence of Lieutenants. Harry could also tell that the power he felt was restrained, as though there was a deep wellspring of energy, probably captain grade, hidden under the stoic facade that this being projected.

As Harry's hand began to instinctively move toward the hilt of his Zanpakuto, the man spoke in a deep booming voice, "Can I help you?"

Harry halted his hand's advance and answered, "I'm here to see Mr. Urahara. I'm Harry Kyoraku."

The change in demeanor was slight, from barely restrained aggression to completely businesslike, but it caused Harry to relax, "Ah, yes, Mr. Kyoraku. The boss has been expecting you. Please come in."

Kyoraku turned to find that the metal door was opening to reveal what looked like a normal store front. The large man had silently moved to his side, startling Harry when he spoke again, "Please make yourself comfortable while I go and wake Mr. Urahara."

Harry was left alone after being ushered into the shop, which was when he noticed several things that were off. Lined up in bins and along the shelves was an assortment of substances that he recognized immediately. Most of them were things that he was trained to use in his regular duties, as they would supplement the healing techniques that he used on a patient. But it was the ones that he didn't use regularly that really surprised him.

Those items were considered controlled substances in the Soul Society, only used on the most critically wounded or special cases where nothing else worked. To see them supposedly for sale, and marked in the currency of the Soul Society, convinced Harry that this place was not, as the sign out front said, a normal candy store. It also helped to explain why the place was closed until an expected customer came calling.

Harry was drawn from his inspection of the shop's wares by the sound of a man yawning as he walked into the main part of the store. Whoever this guy was, he reminded the young Shinigami of the head of his clan, Shunsui Kyoraku. The untidy appearance of his clothes, stubble on his face, and bags under his eyes spoke to the fact that this man spent many nights awake, and then was probably awoken earlier than he preferred far too often. But he also exuded the same controlled spiritual pressure as the larger man had.

Kisuke Urahara strode forward and addressed his customer, "You must be Mr. Kyoraku. Tessai said that you had come for your supplies. I'm Kisuke Urahara, proprietor of this establishment."

Harry nodded, unable to believe that there were two beings of captain power levels living in this world.

Urahara regarded Harry with a measuring eye, taking stock of his appearance and stance, before commenting, "I see that Shunsui's bad habits haven't rubbed off on you. That's good at least. There may be hope for that clan yet."

It was surprising to hear someone make those kinds of observations about the head of a noble house, even if it was one of the minor ones. Harry came to his clan leader's defense, "I'm not sure that I would describe them as bad habits, even if others see them as such. Captain Kyoraku may not show it much, but he is dependable and courageous, as well as compassionate. I would appreciate it if you did not make such disparaging comments in my presence, Mr. Urahara."

Kisuke was wholeheartedly surprised. Not only had this young man managed to keep his anger in check through the entire statement, he had also shown no pride when he was praising the head of his clan. Urahara suspected that it would take a very specific stimulus to rile this Shinigami.

"I apologize, Mr. Kyoraku. I meant no disrespect. Shall we go over your equipment?" Kisuke motioned toward the back of the building.

Harry nodded and followed Urahara into a storage room where there was an assortment of items laid out on a table. Books, potion ingredients, school uniforms, casual clothes, a big metal cauldron, a wand, a leather bag, and an assortment of minor jewelry pieces.

Flipping through one of the books, Harry was rather surprised by something. "Which language is this, Mr. Urahara?"

"It's English. I understand if you have trouble with it, but I got you some items that should allow you to read it, even if not understand it." Urahara quipped with a smirk.

"I'm not sure how, but I can read it quite well." Harry said as he continued to turn pages. He had his suspicions about this, but was not about to discuss them openly with anyone until he had more proof.

Closing the book, he turned back to Urahara and gestured back to the table, "So, what are the rest of these items?"

"Just everything a young magic student needs to learn the subject, or so the list would imply." Urahara pointed to the translated list of school materials that had come with the letter. "But first, we should probably get you into a gigai."

That was when Harry noticed the nondescript humanoid form leaning against a wall. He had always wondered what it felt like to wear one, but had yet to get the chance. His training had not yet extended that far, as he was usually bound to a relief station in the Seireitei.

Kisuke stepped out of the way and gave some simple instructions, "It's just like shifting through a wall. Just concentrate and the gigai will do the rest."

Harry walked over to the body and did as instructed, feeling himself slide into the shape. Then he felt the energy of the body adjust to fit his form, the arms lengthening and growing hands, the legs doing the same and forming feet. Finally, the skin and muscle tone changed to match his. Standing there, he looked down at himself and flexed each muscle group to gauge the loss of movement that all the other Shinigami complained about in a gigai.

"It feels a bit off." Harry said after a few moments, reaching for some of the clothes that had been set out for him.

"That's to be expected, as the interface between soul and body isn't perfect, especially not in the beginning. Give it some time and it will feel like you are just wearing a heavy coat." Urahara answered the unasked question.

Kyoraku finished fastening the pants and slid a shirt up his arms and over his shoulders. "So, it's supposed to be itchy?"

"Itches, you say?" Kisuke asked with a frown. "Maybe we should check the connection to make sure it's working properly."

No sooner had the shop owner suggested a check-up than Harry started screaming at the top of his lungs, face tilted toward the sky, and streamers of while light and black shadow flowing from his forehead toward the heavens.

Harry was in his own universe, filled with pain and screaming. The whole world turned into bright light, so blinding that it seared his retinas and blocked out any other stimuli. All that he wished for was a quick end to his existence, as being like this had to be worse than the alternative. Then he heard something, a low chanting voice, cutting through the fog of misery and into his soul. He was unsure where it came from, but the incantation sounded familiar.

Urahara was dumbstruck. Never before had he seen a gigai reaction like this. Sure, there had been problems with some of his experiments over the years, but this wasn't like any of those, and the body was a standard blank from the soul society, not the one he was developing for another project.

Suddenly, he could hear a string of words in a language that he didn't recognize issue from the young Kyoraku's body just before the light show stopped. Kisuke moved quickly to catch the falling boy, as the end of his display had apparently left him as mobile as a puppet with its strings cut.

Urahara could tell that the Shinigami was still alive, but that his consciousness was turned inward, almost like a Zanpakuto trance, but to a far greater degree. He laid the body on a nearby mat and noticed something strange on Harry's face.

A symbol. No, a collection of miniature symbols, what almost looked like characters, arranged into the shape of a lightning bolt. Kisuke, feeling that his guest would be safest where he was, arranged him so that he would be comfortable, and went to investigate the strange incidents that had occurred in his home.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Harry was laying in his crib, barely more than a year old, and smiling up at his mother. She had long wavy red hair that flowed around her face and fell to just out of his reach.

There was a banging sound coming from out of his field of vision, followed by a man, his father, coming into view and speaking with Harry's mother, "Lilly, I don't know how, but he found us. Take Harry and run, I'll try to buy you some time."

Lilly grabbed her husband's arm, "Don't go James. We can get out of here together."

James Potter turned to his wife and took her into his arms, "No we can't. If someone doesn't stay to slow him down, no one is getting out of here alive. Now go." His last words were spoken as he drew his wand and went for the door to the nursery.

Lilly wiped her eyes, knowing that she wouldn't see her husband alive again. She reached for her son as there was a deafening boom from just outside the room, throwing the door open and raining pieces of James Potter onto the floor.

Lilly spun to face her attacker, wand in hand. She saw the horrid visage that she had met in battle before, the same one that haunted her nightmares, and lost control. Harry's mother threw herself at Voldemort, pleading with him for her son's life.

Voldemort threw her aside with a contemptuous motion of his arm, sneering down at her, "Out of the way, you silly girl."

Once more Lilly Potter tried to protect her son, mumbling something under her breath before a flash of green light and the words Avada Kedavra ended her life as well.

Voldemort moved slowly to stand over the crib where his greatest threat lay. Without a word, he raised his wand to point at the child's head, intending to ensure his dominion with but a single spell. The tip of his wand glowed green and his mouth started to form the words.

Then the scene froze and Harry found himself standing in a corner of the room, his proper dimensions restored. Another figure moved out from behind Voldemort, looking quite a bit older than Harry.

The figure took in the entire scene, shaking his head at the cold blooded murder about to be committed. Then he turned to face Harry and said, "Hi Harry. First of all, let me say, I'm so sorry for what I did."

Harry blinked, not expecting this at all, "Tom? What do you mean 'What you did'? How could you have had anything to do with this?"

Tom hooked a thumb over his shoulder, "Because that's me, or at least the thing I used to be a part of. It appears that we finally figured out where I came from."

Harry was lost, wondering what his old companion was talking about, "Tom, you're part of me, my Zanpakuto. How is it possible that you are a fragment from another person?"

"It's actually quite simple to figure it out once you know a few things about the magic used by these Earth bound wizards." Tom seemed to be settling in for a long story so Harry got comfortable in the rocking chair next the crib in the memory.

"A couple decades before you were born, a young wizard was on his way to becoming a legend among their kind, but he wanted more. He wanted to rule over the wizarding world and have his lieutenants rule over the non-magical, or muggle as they call them, world. Imposing a form of blood purity was the main plank of his campaign for the whole thing, and the pure-blood supremacists ate it up. He gained a following, and used his exceptional knowledge of magic to extend his power and life further than anyone else had achieved in centuries."

"Like all those who covet power, he worried about losing that power. His own Lieutenants were the biggest threats, so he took steps to thwart death itself. The preparations and ceremony are complicated, but it all boiled down to ripping a piece of his soul off and implanting it in a device. This device would then act as an anchor if he were killed, allowing him to make his way back to a body."

"Here is where the memories stop and the guess work begins, but it is educated guesses, so bear with me." Tom made sure that Harry was still with him and continued. "I believe that Voldemort, born Tom Riddle, had completed his preparations and came here to kill you in order to create another Horcrux, or soul anchor. One of the required steps is to commit a cold blooded murder, but I suspect that he had other reasons to want you dead, as almost any random murder would technically do."

"You may have noticed your mother muttering something before she was killed," Harry nodded, "I think it was an old protection spell based on sacrifice. That protection must have caused the killing curse, Voldemort's favorite weapon, to partially rebound, killing you both. Since he would have already performed the murder, I was split off, probably the last of his humanity. I was a formless shard of spirit and consciousness that latched onto the first thing I could find. Then you crossed over, somehow causing us to merge into one being, though I retained enough of myself to become your Zanpakuto when you were handed your blank."

Tom seemed to sadden again, "Sorry about that too. I know it was hard having to tame a Shikai when you were still in your first form classes."

Harry sat thinking about what he had just heard, going over the details and finding no flaw in them. He finally looked up to find Tom looking at him expectantly, "Tom, relax. I think that you may be right about your origins, but that doesn't change the fact that you are part of me now. You've never done anything but help me, both as a weapon and a mentor."

Tom let out a sigh of relief, "Thank you Harry. I wasn't sure if we could still work together after this new information came to light. That would have been bad, because I don't think Voldemort is dead and we must finish him off. Because he will be back, and he will want you out of the way once he is."

"One thing at a time." Harry said, "If he believes me dead, then we have an advantage. And I seriously doubt that he knows the full extent of our abilities, which is another thing in our favor. We just need to keep things under wraps for now, and listen for information about him."

"By the way," The young Shinigami changed subjects, "What happened when I put on the gigai?"

"The killing curse disrupts the soul until it can no longer stay attached to a body. When you entered the spare, it created interference between your soul, your magic, and the gigai. It would have destroyed all three, but I acted quickly enough to prevent that." Tom's eyes were sparkling, just like old times, as he slipped back into his role as mentor and friend.

"What did you have to do to get the three to work?" Harry asked.

"I cast a sealing charm that would normally be used to bind a spirit to an inanimate body, nasty piece of black magic that I picked up in a previous life." They both smiled at the inside joke. "With the way I modified it, it should allow you to use a gigai normally."

Harry stood, hoping to get back to his mission now that the current crisis had been averted, "Anything else we need to discuss?"

Tom shook his head, banishing the memory into a thin mist, "There is a new attack I would like you to learn, but that can wait until you have some more free time." Tom Riddle, formerly a fragment of the soul of Voldemort turned weapon and companion of the most hated person of his former self, snapped his fingers and canceled the trance.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Harry woke to find himself laying on a thin mat, with the large man, Tessai if he remembered correctly, sitting next to him and chanting.

"Hi." Harry croaked out, his throat sore from screaming himself hoarse.

Tessai's eyes shot open and he stopped chanting, "Hello, Mr. Kyoraku. It's good to see you awake." He stood and helped Harry to his feet before handing him a glass of water.

Harry downed half the contents and then took a few breaths. Finding his throat still sensitive, he called on one of his healing abilities and held his right hand to his neck. A brief flash and an intense burning later, Harry took another breath and sighed when it didn't hurt. "That's better."

"I'm glad to see that you're feeling better. You gave us quite a scare." Urahara reentered the room and stood behind the table. "I've never seen a reaction like that before. Could you shed any light on what happened?"

Harry was a little nervous about sharing too much information with this 'agent' of the soul society, especially when he didn't know how the individual would react. He finally decided to play his cards close to the chest until he could get home, "I have no idea what happened. I was talking to you, then all I remember is pain until I woke up."

Urahara knew that the kid was hiding something, but figured that digging would get him nowhere, "Shall we get the rest of your equipment squared away?"

Harry nodded and joined Kisuke by table. He looked at several of the items, careful not to touch anything that might cause reactions.

"It appears that many of the subjects center around using a wand, and most of the shops regard choosing a wand as some sort of mystical process. I did some research and found that a wand will often reflect its wielder. That's why I made this one for you." Urahara held what looked like a polished stick toward Harry.

Taking the wand in hand, Harry felt a massive surge of power flow through his arm as a connection formed. A small universe of lights began to form around the tip, growing to surround him. Just as suddenly as it started, the lights shot back into the wand, which released a massive wave of energy.

Urahara raised an eyebrow, "Form what I understand, something like that is normal with the right wand."

Harry cocked his head to the side, "A little warning next time something is supposed to happen would be nice, though I could tell that it was something good, or maybe right is the word, from the moment it started. I take it this is no normal stick?"

Kisuke was happy to be able to explain, as he had put a good deal of work into the artifact. He nodded his head and dived right in, "Yes. Each wand is the combination of a magical core and a magical wood, combined through certain rituals that merge the two seamlessly."

"According to all the data I could collect on the subject, a wand should reflect the wizard or witch it is intended for. This led me to choose a thread from a burial shroud as the core and Acacia Wood from a tree growing in the Aokigahara." Urahara finished the monologue with a smile on his face.

Harry nodded, knowing the significance of these materials and why they would mesh so well with him. He picked up what looked like a leather holster and proceeded to strap it to his wrist, noting how the wand still made contact with his flesh. This would give him the ability to cast while still leaving his hands free, a useful combination in many circumstances he could think of.

Kisuke smiled and continued to explain the items, "These are your school books, ranging from Potions to Transfiguration. Your cauldron, work gloves, knife, mortar and pestle, and robes."

Harry held up the hat that was sitting next to his robes. He looked the pointed thing over and then glanced at Urahara, "Are they honestly expecting us to wear these things?"

The shop owner chuckled, "I think it's more for formal occasions, but it is on the list of school materials."

They went through the other items assembled there, including his Shinigami equipment, until they reached the end of the line and Urahara held up a bag, "I got you this from one of the shops. It's a bag that you can fit all of this in and still have enough room for a whole arsenal. It will weigh the same regardless of its contents."

Stuffing his things into the bag, Harry asked, "Anything else I need to know before I get started?"

Kisuke produced a sheaf of paper and handed it over, "All arrangements have been made with the headmaster of the school. He claims to have no problem honoring your other duties, but something in the tone of his messages suggests that he either doesn't understand the full scope or has other intentions."

"Do you think it will be a problem?" Harry inquired, not wanting to walk into a trap unawares.

"The history surrounding your situation suggests that there is more going on, but I couldn't find anything else on the subject." Urahara grudgingly admitted his lack of knowledge. "Whatever is going on in England, it is well hidden, and they may be a little surprised when they hear your name."

"As for this headmaster, he probably wants to find out more about your past. What are you able to admit, Mr. Kyoraku?" Urahara asked, trying to be nonchalant about the attempt to gain more information.

"Given the nature of this society, it has been deemed safe for me to reveal the truth to a limited list of people, with my discretion to inform others." Harry replied. "Albus Dumbledore is on that list."

Harry finished packing all of his gear into the bag, considering each item's location for ease of access in the coming days and weeks.

Finally, he threw the long coat that was among his non-school clothes on and slung the bag on his shoulder. "So, how am I getting there?"

Urahara's grin returned, "We've put together a portal that should allow you to reach a hotel across from the train station where you will embark to reach the school. I've taken the liberty of arranging a room for you there, and a little spending money in both magical and mundane currency."

He held one last book out to Harry, "This should also help you to get around a little better. Though there isn't much about the magical world."

Harry shoved the book under his arm and nodded, "Thank you, Mr. Urahara. I'm sure it will prove useful."

Kisuke motioned for Harry to follow him and moved slowly down a hallway toward the portal they had set up for the trip to England. While they walked, the shop owner decided to give a few last minute instructions, "The portal is bidirectional, so just call and we can open it to your current location. Also, unlike the Senkaimon, it won't require a Hell Butterfly to navigate it, allowing for a quick getaway method for an entire group, should the need arise."

Harry nodded his thanks, hoping that such a need would not be coming any time soon. He had an ominous feeling about the future though, like the winds were shifting just before a storm. Something was on the horizon that would change him forever, and he had no idea what it could be.

Shaking the feeling, he filed this under useful information to have in a pinch, and bowed to the shop owner. "I appreciate all your help, and the preparations you've made. Hopefully they won't be necessary."

"Hopefully, yes." Kisuke nodded, touching a stone archway. A light flared in the center of the passage, spreading to fill the entire space.

Harry tightened the strap on his bag and took a bracing breath before stepping into the doorway and toward his destiny.

Urahara let the door close, wondering if he would ever see that young Shinigami again. He too shook off the feeling, going back to his normal routine.

ooo000OOO000ooo

Forgot to say it last chapter, so thanks to my wife and best friend Birga for proofing both chapters for me.


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